You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
